The Red Tear
by Mistress Nika
Summary: A woman's life is controled by another. She gave up something precious for something she deemed even more valuable. But now she can't remember what it is she gave up. Who will save her from her own actions? DISCONTINUED


~Disclaimer=I don't own InuYasha. I do however own the mysterious woman who appears here, as well as any little skeletons that come flying out of her closet. Well, all but one. But you'll figure that out later. ^_^  
  
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(A/N) okay, before we begin, I just want to say: No, this woman is not me. I wish she was, but it's sadly not true. You may notice that she has green eyes like me (which is evident in several of my other fics), but that's where the similarity stops. Except for a few minor personality traits, but those don't make her me. AND, no, none of my friends, AKA the Sake Sisters, will be appearing here. There will be no fangirls in this fic! So, don't ask; Jodea, Sara, lilhillbillie, Hakura, Nami, Macaly or Yuki. I want to keep this fangirl free, except for the readers of course. Where would I be without fangirl, or boy, readers? Probably doing something a lot more productive with my time...and that's no fun! ^_^  
  
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A lone figure moved through the dark with light purposeful steps. Their sandled feet strode silently over the loose ground, making no sound as they moved. Stopping suddenly their head snapped around, listening to the night. A bird cried out and with one quick leap the figure had taken to a high tree, concealing itself amongst the shadows. Moonlight filtered through the trees and gently caressed the form of a woman, crouching low on a limb, watching the path below her. Her head was concealed in a black hood, only her emerald eyes uncovered and shining brightly with a sharp intelligence. She wore close-fitting black garb reminicent of a ninja. The only thing that revealed her sex was the appearant female anatomy showing against her shirt. Something on the ground below her caught her attention and she drew her sword slowly from it's sheath at her side, careful not to make the slightest noise.  
  
She glanced to the high wall of the castle she had been previously scouting. Looking back to the ground she saw three guards stroll leisurely by, remarking on their lord's strange behavior.  
  
"Do you really think this is nessacery?" remarked one  
  
"If our lord says it is then it must be." replied another.  
  
"But nothing has happened to warrant such extreme defenses." reasoned the first.  
  
The third one, previously silent, said, "Our master is afraid."  
  
At his simple statement the others grew silent.  
  
He continued, "Something happened to make him so afraid. He fears for his life."  
  
She had no time to listen to their idle prattle. Slipping her sword back into place, she raised up to perch lightly on the tree limb. Surveiling the area, she leaped upwards, landing on a higher limb. She was now even with the wall. After she was certain the three guards had moved on she leapt gracefully to the wall, pausing only for a second before leaping again. This time onto the roof of the mansion. She saw below several more guards lounging in the courtyard. *Hmph. They make this too easy* she thought to herself. Running soundlessly across the roof she soon came to her destination. Flipping descreetly over the edge, she landed in a crouch on the ground just oustide the lord's bedchamber. Creeping through the night she flattened herself against the wall, listening for any movement within. When she heard none she carefully pushed the door open. Sleeping peacefully within was the lord of the mansion himself. No one else was present.  
  
Slipping inside she once again removed her sword from it's sheath. Walking silently over to the sleeping man, she raised it over her head. She stopped before his prone form and watched him in silence for a moment. Then with one clean slice, she seperated his head from his body. He never awoke.  
  
Her task completed, she wiped her blade on his body and replaced it. Moving swiftly and confidently back towards the door she thought to herself that this was one of her easiest tasks yet. Retracing her route she made her way back outside and off into the woods, pausing only once to look back at the soldiers guarding their now deceased lord. They didn't even know they had failed. Their job was over, just as was her's. All that was left now was to report in.  
  
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"Come on!! Let's go!!"  
  
InuYasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara had stopped for lunch. And now that it was over, and all the Ramen was gone, InuYasha was trying to pry his friends from their still-sitting positions. He reached to haul Kagome to her feet by her arm, but he never made it.  
  
"Osuwari!" she declared.  
  
InuYasha crashed to the ground muttering a string of curses.  
  
Lifting his head slightly he cried, "Bitch! What'd ya do that for!?"  
  
Her only reply was another "Osuwari!", pushing him deeper into the hole his body had created.  
  
Kagome leaped to her feet, surprisingly smiling, and said, "Sango and I are going to take a bath! I refuse to smell all the time and there's a hotspring calling my name!"  
  
Grabbing her pack with one hand and dragging Sango along with the other the two females disappeared into trees.  
  
InuYasha growled in frustration and managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. "Fine!" he yelled after them. "When a demon attacks you because you're alone don't come running to me! Just let it eat you and put you out of my misery!!"  
  
"OSUWARI!!"  
  
*SPLAT*  
  
She heard that... -_-  
  
Miroku had remained silent throughout the exchange and was presently attempting to sneak away from the campsite.  
  
"Don't even think about it, monk." InuYasha said muffled.  
  
Miroku froze.  
  
Lifting his face he stared at the back of the offending monk. "Sango took Hiraikotsu. You'll just get pounded." InuYasha said, pulling himself up once again to sit cross-legged in the dirt.  
  
Miroku spun around and said innocently, "What? I was mearly going to provide protection for our fairer, gentler comrades."  
  
"Feh!" replied the disgruntled hanyou. "You just wanna see if you can get close enough to spy on them without their knowing it."  
  
Miroku placed a hand to his chest and said with mock shock, "Why, InuYasha! I'm surprised you would think such a thing!"  
  
InuYasha jumped into a nearby tree and said, "Yeah, well. Don't blame me when you get clobered."  
  
Miroku nodded with a sage expression, then promptly turned and followed the two into the trees.  
  
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"Honestly! You'd think he enjoys me stinking!" Kagome complained to her friend.  
  
They were both sitting with their backs to a rock, just relaxing in the soothing waters of the hotspring. And discussing their male companions.  
  
"Well, I would give up baths forever if houshi-sama would stop groping me every chance he gets." Sango replied.  
  
Sighing Kagome let herself sink into the water until her chin was submerged. She didn't know what she was going to do. She had already discovered her own feelings, but InuYasha had made it clear that he would go to hell with Kikyou. She didn't want that and she would do everything in her power to prevent it. Even if killing her was the only solution. But if she were to kill Kikyou, she didn't know if InuYasha would ever love her then. But she couldn't let him die for something that wasn't his fault. She honestly didn't fault Kikyou for her feelings toward InuYasha. She had loved him. And now she hated him. But Kagome knew that if she were in Kikyou's position, she would not do as she had done. She would rather InuYasha live and have a chance at happiness than be dead with her. That's why she had decided. The next time she saw Kikyou, she would kill her. And hope that this time she stayed dead and was able to rest in peace.  
  
Sango broke her out of her thoughts by taping her lightly on the shoulder. Kagome sat up and looked at her friend. Then she followed her gaze to a nearby bush.  
  
"Speaking of houshi-sama..." Sango said with an evil glint in her eye.  
  
Kagome heaved another sigh. When would he ever learn? She stayed in the water while Sango surreptitously exited the water and wrapped a towel around herself. Grabbing Hiraikotsu she made her way to the bush. When she was only a foot away she cried, "GOT YOU!!" and smashed the bush with her weapon. However when she got a good look at the unconscious body a look of horror crossed her face. "Oh no!" she cried.  
  
At that point Miroku, deciding he had better save who he assumed was InuYasha, stepped out from behind a tree and said innocently, "Sango-sama? Do you require assistance?"  
  
Kagome quickly ducked down into the water with a cry of "HENTAI!!" But then her eyes widened in realization. If Miroku was over there, who did Sango just flatten? It couldn't have been InuYasha, could it?  
  
"Kagome-chan! Houshi-sama!" cried a frantic Sango. "Help me! I think I killed her!!"  
  
Miroku was instantly at her side, followed by a dripping wet but fully dressed Kagome.  
  
Lieing face-down on the ground was an unconscious young woman.  
  
Sango knelt down and carefully turned the woman over. "Oh please be alright." She whispered. Puting a hand in front of the woman's face, everyone was silent for a moment. Suddenly Sango's eyes brightened. "She's alive!" she rejoiced.  
  
Kagome let out a deep sigh of relief.  
  
Sango began lifting the woman and said, "Houshi-sama, help me carry her back to camp."  
  
Miroku obliged and placed one of the woman's arms over his shoulder as Sango did the same.  
  
Kagome assumed Sango had forgotten that she was wearing only a towel around the same time she had abandoned Hiraikotsu to help the injured woman. She collected their things and chased after the two, dragging the giant boomerang along behind her.  
  
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Back at camp InuYasha leaped out of his tree and raced to meet the approaching people. Without waiting for approval he took the woman from Sango and Miroku and effortlessly picked her up.  
  
Kagome handed Sango both her boomerang and her clothes and dashed after InuYasha.  
  
Sango quicky realized her state of dress, or rather undress, and ran behind a tree to change. (A/N=Makes you wonder how she kept that towel up the whole time, ne?) Miroku, however, was too worried about the unconscious woman to notice. (A/N=Wow! He's really worried!)  
  
Kagome quickly unrolled her sleeping bag and InuYasha sat their unconscious guest (A/N=I'm running out of things to call her...-_-) on top of it.  
  
"I smell blood." InuYasha stated. "She's wounded. What happened?"  
  
Kagome gasped and began checking the woman over. Her clothes were a mess, mearly strips of black cloth hanging off her. She noticed a sword clutched tightly in her right hand, held in a deathgrip, but didn't bother to ponder it. There were no traces of blood despite her hagard appearance.  
  
"Where?" she asked InuYasha.  
  
He sniffed the woman over and stopped at her head. "Here." he pointed to the left side of her head.  
  
Kagome gently pushed the woman's long black hair aside and to her horror did indeed find blood. She was bleeding from a head wound. That wasn't good. Rumaging around in her pack she pulled out antiseptic, gauze and bandages and set about bandaging the woman's bleeding head.  
  
InuYasha wasn't getting answers from Kagome so he looked over at the monk. "What happened?" he asked again.  
  
Miroku sighed and said, "I'm afraid it was a case of mistaken identity. You see, this woman happened upon our two bathing sirens and alerted Sango to her presense by rustling a bush. She, of course, thought it was me and hit her in the head with Hiraikotsu. The result was thus." He gestured to the still unconscious woman who now had white bandages adorning her head.  
  
Shippo hopped from his place beside Kirara and sniffed the woman tentitively. "She smells funny." he said wrinkling his nose.  
  
InuYasha nodded. "She smells like she came from a battlefield." he said. "I can smell old blood on her, mixed with smoke from fires. Also a little magic."  
  
"Magic?" asked Kagome. "How?"  
  
InuYasha shook his head in confusion. "I don't know. It just smells like magic was used on her." He paused for effect then said, "And not in a good way."  
  
Sango came up, bitting her lip in fear. "Will she....be alright?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
Kagome nodded once and said, "Yeah, I think so. Her head wound doesn't look too serious. Probably just broke the skin."  
  
Sango stepped a little closer and said sadly, "I didn't mean to hit her so hard. Houshi-sama's skull is just thicker. I knew he could take it."  
  
Kagome stood and quickly embraced her friend. She looked on the verge of tears. "It's alright, Sango-chan." she said comfortingly, "She'll be fine. You didn't hit her that hard. It isn't your fault." Letting her go, she stepped back.  
  
Sango managed a weak smile and said, "You're right, Kagome-chan. It's not my fault." Suddenly her eyes narrowed in anger. There was a slight pause before she shrieked, "IT'S HIS FAULT!!" Bringing Hiraikotsu around she proceeded to bash Miroku on the head with it. "HENTAI!!!" she screamed.  
  
He fell to the ground and twitched a bit as InuYasha shook his head sadly at him. "When are you gonna learn, lech?" he said disdainfully.  
  
"I was just trying to lighten the situation!" croaked a semi-conscious Miroku.  
  
However, no one heard him as the previously unconscious woman was awakened by Sango and Miroku's antics. She moaned once, then her eyelids fluttered open. Taking in the strange people before her, she bolted upright and pushed away the dull ache in her head. *Okay, this is quite odd.* she thought to herself. *If I'm not mistaken that's a demon standing over me. And a girl in an obscenly short kimono* She cocked her head to the side. *Is she a prostitute?* she questioned. *I suppose it's possible. She is with a demon.* Looking to her left she saw Sango and the quickly recovered Miroku. *Okay, that's a little more normal. That's a monk and a normally dressed woman.* She once again cocked her head in confusion. *Is that a giant boomerang?* She felt something small jump into her lap and a nose nuzzled her hand. Looking down she thought, *A kitsune kit? And....what's that? It looks like a cat. But it's definitely a demon.*  
  
Shippo looked up into the woman's eyes with concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
Kirara was rubbing her head into the woman's hand, almost begging to be petted.  
  
"Wow." Sango remarked. "Look at Kirara. She really likes her."  
  
The woman continued to be confused, but began stroking the fire cat's little head. Kirara purred in response.  
  
Kagome knelt down beside the woman. "Do you feel okay?" she asked.  
  
The woman nodded once, confusion still clouding her crystaline green eyes. "Yes, I'm quite well." she responded. But that throbbing pain in her head continued to plague her. Reaching up, she touched her fingers to the bandages around her head. "What's this?" she asked.  
  
Kagome laughed uncomfortably and said, "Yeah, that. Uh, Sango thought you were a peeping tom and she hit you with her weapon. You're head was bleeding so I bandaged it." She quickly added, "We're really sorry about hitting you like that!"  
  
The woman just nodded dumbly. "Why exactly did you think I was a peeping tom?" she asked, looking up at the only other woman in the group, assuming it was this Sango person.  
  
Sango glared at Miroku before beginning. "Well, houshi-sama often peeks at Kagome and I while we bathe. So when I heard you in the bush, I assumed it was him and, uh.....bludgened you."  
  
The woman nodded again, finally beginning to once again process information as one should. "Why was I at the water though?" she questioned. "Do I know you?"  
  
Kagome was speechless. She didn't lose her memory, did she!? "No," she said, "You don't know us. "But, don't you remember why you were there?"  
  
The woman shook her head once again.  
  
Miroku took over at this point. "What is the last thing you remember then?" he asked solemnly.  
  
The woman thought for a moment. "Ummm....." she replied as she searched her hazy mind. "I remember being in my village. There was a demon in the area and people were scared." She paused as she looked off into space. "I went to fight it...but after that it gets dark..." Looking up at them she said, "I'm sorry. I don't remember anything after that."  
  
InuYasha scoffed. "You don't look like much of a warrior to me." he said disapprovingly.  
  
The woman's eyes widened. "I'm not!" she said vehemently. "I'm a miko!"  
  
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(A/N) Okay! I need imput! Pairings!! I have none! Tell me who you want to see with whom. Um, just to make it easier, the woman's name is Mei. I will do any pairing! Um, well, except yaoi. But only because it wouldn't fit in with my plot. Okay, I take that back. I could possibly work in an InuYasha/Kouga pairing, but I can't see how any other's could work here. Sorry, Jodea-chan! No Inu/Sess here! Go look somewhere else. I'm also gonna be a bit nicer to Kikyou than I normally am. Since I'm the authoress I have the power to make anyone behave the way I want. So our least favorite undead-miko will be more of a tragic character than I believe her to be. Well, that's all for now. R&R!!  
  
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Reviews! Reviews! (skips merrily through the wildflowers) I love reviews! (crickets chirp, looks around sadly, begins to sob) I'M SO ALONE!!! 


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